I unclipped the satellite phone and threw it at him. “Call for help. Tell Massimo I need an airlift to the nearest hospital, now.”
He nodded and did as I asked while I turned back to my girl.
Her eyes had fluttered shut.
“Baby, I need you to wake up.”
“I wasn’t sleeping,” she mumbled. “Just resting my eyes for a bit. I’m just so tired, Elio.”
“I know. But I still need you to stay awake for me. Can you do that for me?”
She let out a small sigh. “I’d do anything for you.”
She was breaking my heart.
“Such a good girl for me,” I said.
She smiled a little before wincing. “Elio… I hurt.”
“I know, baby. Stay with me. I’m right here.”
She shook her head. “I…”
Her words trailed off into incoherent sentences that I didn’t know how to make sense of.
Valentino came back. “Help is on the way.”
I didn’t look away from Isa. She was drifting away from me. I could sense it, and I didn’t know how to stop that from happening.
I shook her.
No response.
“Isa, wake up. Wake up, baby.”
Tears stung my eyes as I got nothing from her.
Fuck. No.This can’t be happening.
We were just getting started. We had so much more to look forward to. So much fucking more.
“Please. Just wake up.”
She didn’t answer me.
Fuck. What was I supposed to do now?
It had been over a week,and Isa still wasn’t awake.
It was the gunshot injury, along with her other injuries inflicted by both Joseph and Waylen, that stopped her from waking up to me.
I stayed by her hospital bed, the continuousbeep,beep, beepof her monitor my constant companion.
Well, not my only companion.
I looked over to the corner of the room, where Valentino was trying and failing to get some sleep.
We hadn’t left Isa’s side since we transported her to the small hospital near Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, but the hospital didn’t have enough resources. We got her stable enough before transferring her back to Las Vegas, where she has stayed since and hasn’t woken up yet.
